Brolly Hut, on Crenshaw Boulevard just north of Imperial Highway, is one of the five mid-century buildings in Inglewood identified by the L.A. Conservancy as worthy of being preserved.

Historic Preservation is a measure of how we value our community. Cities are made of old and new, past and present. If we do not value our past, then we have very little regard for our future. For various reasons, we point to communities like Culver City, Pasadena and Santa Monica as examples of how Inglewood should look or be perceived by ourselves and others. What we find appealing in other cities is the mixture of old and new and how cities have achieved that mixture.

This mixture is also what makes these cities desirable destinations.

The Los Angeles Conservancy is a non-profit that oversees historic preservation all across the county. They periodically grade each city on their preservation efforts; Inglewood’s last grade was a “D.” We have made a start, but we need to do more, go further.

First, we identify what there is in Inglewood of historic significance. Historic doesn’t just mean ‘old’ and everything old is not necessarily historic. Historic can be based on the architect, former inhabitants or uses of structures, or how structures have impacted everyday life. We have significant structures that are private and public; residential, commercial
and government owned. Many people believe that historic preservation means they will no longer have a say in what can be done to their property. Nothing can be further from the truth. Preservation guidelines only mean that any alterations to a property must be done within the scope of the existing architecture.

What does Inglewood have to save? Thus far, we know of three homes by architect Rudolph Schindler and a commercial building by the renowned architect, Paul R. Williams; several buildings on Market Street, among them the Fox Theatre; and a handful of Victorian residences around the city. The L.A. Conservancy has identified five mid-century modern structures that should be preserved: Century Car Wash, Brolly Hut restaurant, the Forum, Briarwood Town Homes, and the Crenshaw-Imperial Branch Library.

There is more to do and more to investigate. An historic survey of the whole city, council district by council district, is underway. It is led by the Inglewood Historic Preservation
Alliance (IHPA). With this completed survey in hand, IHPA will be able to work with the city to create historic preservation guide- lines for future renovation, restoration, additions, and new construction.